New York Goodbye
by carrie4angel
Summary: AU During a radio interview Puck reveals the events that inspired him to write the most popular song from his debut album.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. I do own the lyrics to 'New York Goodbye'.**

**A.N. This story is from a prompt that Mel gave me. It was originally posted here : dreamsofglitter . /post/ 25524225664/ future -au -rachel – catches -noah -talking -on – the**

**Thanks to Pretty_Gleeky, Mel, Mona, Corinna and Cassie on twitter for all the advice and help. Thanks also to my brother for editing a Puckleberry fic and a shoutout to xXLittle Rose AngelXx aka my beta reader who is currently finishing up school exams.**

Surreal. It was the only word to describe how Puck felt right at this moment. Who would ever have guessed that he, Noah 'Puck' Puckerman, would be speaking live on air with Paul Winter, America's most popular disc jockey, more commonly known as 'The Star Maker'. Under normal circumstances it was next to impossible to secure a meeting with the man, never mind to have been given sixty minutes of airtime. Stranger still, it was virtually unheard of for Paul to personally call an artist or group, to issue the invite to appear on his show, yet that was what had happened. Puck had been enjoying a rare ten-minute break in his promotional schedule when his phone rang. Having verified that it wasn't a practical joke by his band, Puck had listened in shock as Paul outlined his vision of an informal interview and acoustic set that would also be filmed and made available online. This kind of exposure, of endorsement, could not be bought and there was no way that Puck was going to turn it down.

So here he was talking to Paul's researchers about being discovered online the year before. How in spite of having a few suspects, he was no closer to discovering who was responsible for posting the videos. Looking around the studio he laughed quietly at the antics of his band, and long-time friends Artie and Sam, who were trying to take sneaky pictures as evidence of where they currently were. Yes surreal was the perfect word to describe how a so-called Lima Loser had achieved the impossible, had made something of himself. A flurry of activity announced the arrival of Paul and after a few minutes of sound checks, Puck heard the familiar theme tune of the show, discovering suddenly that he was nervous for the first time in years.

Almost in a daze he listened as Paul recounted the story of his sensational YouTube success, how his videos had reached sixty five million hits in just eight days, and the bidding frenzy among record labels to sign him.

"So Puck, or is it Noah?" Paul asked.

'This is it', Puck thought to himself. "Either works for me Paul, although to my fans I'm Puck."

"You had so many amazing offers, all the big labels wanted to sign you, but instead you went for a small company. Can you tell me why?"

"It was all about finding the right team, the right fit. Being able to chose which musicians I worked with was very important to me." Puck nodded in the direction of Sam and Artie. "Also there were a few conversations about how much of my own music would go on the album. I have nothing against singing covers, but I felt that if it was my original songs that had caught their attention, caught the attention of the fans, then why not continue that way?"

Puck hoped that he was explaining himself in a way that didn't make him sound arrogant or ungrateful. He had turned his back on a lot of money to ensure that he regained as much control over his career as possible, which for him had meant signing with Vintage Records.

"I admire your determination Puck. Sometimes I see promising artists fall at the first hurdle because they get lost in the buzz surrounding them and never quite live up to the initial hype. Would I be right in saying that music is more important to you than fame?"

"Don't get me wrong Paul, I love all my fans. The support I get from them has been nothing short of incredible. I grew up in a small town in Ohio and thought that was where I would stay, that no one would ever hear the songs I was writing, mainly because I was too afraid to let anyone hear them. Eventually though a friend helped me to find the courage to show a small group my writing, which led to me getting the chance to take some music classes."

"I see from your friends' response that there is more to this event that you are letting on?" Paul asked, half teasingly.

"We were some of the lucky few who were invited, though at first we thought it was an intervention of some kind." Artie told the DJ, smiling at the memory.

"I think, looking back, that that was the first day I really thought that maybe it wasn't so crazy for me to even dare think that I could get out, that there were people willing to help me even when there was no guarantee of anything ever coming of it." Puck paused, reliving that afternoon so long ago, before continuing.

"The majority of songs on the album were either written back then, or are inspired by that time. They needed some TLC when I got into a proper studio but every single one of them has a personal meaning to me, like a roadmap of where I have been and where I hope to get." Puck stopped again, realising that his answers were not as clear as his PR rep would have liked, but Paul didn't appear to be put out.

"It really shows in your music Puck, the connection you have with the words you are singing. Were you always so in tune with yourself?"

"Definitely not! These guys," he indicated to Artie and Sam, " can tell you about some of my crazier exploits from back in the day. I was an angry kid, an angry teen. I made mistakes, hurt people around me, tried to push others away. In the end though I got it together enough to ask for help and as clichéd as this sounds, writing music was a large part of my healing process."

"So you are genuine tortured artist?" Paul asked.

"Not anymore thankfully, but it took a while to see what I was missing out on," Puck answered. He wasn't ashamed of his past, though he did regret causing his mother so much anguish and heart ache when she had so much to worry about already.

"When we announced earlier in the week that you would be here and that you had agreed to let the audience choose one song you would perform in this exclusive acoustic set, I thought that your single 'Lost' would be the obvious winner. However it was a different track that got the most number of votes and after listening to it again I can understand why." At Puck's puzzled look the disc jockey continued. "'New York Goodbye' had three times as many requests as the rest of the top five combined. It is clear to me and to your fans that this is the most personal song on your album. It's certainly very different musically, can you tell us more about its origins?"

"Firstly it is the only track that is more or less exactly the same as the demo version," Puck explained. "Basically it tells the classic story of missed chances, regrets and what-ifs on my part."

"There has to be more to it than just that Puck? Or should I ask your friends for their side of the tale?" Paul asked jokingly. Both Sam and Artie looked as if they would love to share their thoughts, but Puck was not going to let that happen.

"As much as my boys would like to think they know that truth, they only know a tiny fraction of the story. And the girl who I wrote it for? Let's just say that she deserves better than to have her private life dissected by my two well meaning friends on national radio." Puck hoped that he had said enough to discourage his friends from speaking.

"Then you tell us the story. Help us to understand what inspired such lyrics as: Still not sure that I believe in fate, but I trust this love of ours."

"Okay, okay, I can see that I have no choice here, but I want to protect her privacy so I won't use her real name. Deal?"

"Of course." Paul replied quickly.

Puck took a breath before speaking again. "She had no idea that I liked her. She was a star, a friend and a complete pain in my ass."

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She had been awake for hours, waiting for the interview to start. Ever since she had heard that Noah was going to be on Paul's show, she had been frantically arranging her schedule so that she could listen to it in peace, without the fear of any distractions. She had her phone on silent, the landline plugged out and had asked her closest friends to allow her some alone time. Therefore the unexpected sound of a key turning and the opening of the front door startled her at first. "I should have had those locks changed," she muttered to Brittany. The blonde just ignored her grumpy friend and settled beside her on the day bed.

"I promise that I'll behave myself," Britt said, though the look on her face made that statement very unbelievable. Knowing better than to try and change Britt's mind, she just moved so that they would both be comfortable and turned the volume up on the radio. As his familiar voice filled the room, she found herself fighting back the tears. She could hear his nerves in his first answer, could tell the instant that he lost himself as he always did when discussing his music. She missed him so much, more than she thought was possible. As he began, reluctantly to talk about 'New York Goodbye', it was as if time slowed down.

"He did it Britt, just like I always knew he could." she said softly, unable to stop herself from crying.

"Shhh Rach, please don't cry. Noah wouldn't want you to." Wiping away her tears, Rachel allowed herself to be embraced by Brittany, listening carefully as her memories of days gone by came flooding back.

"_Visitor for you Puckerman." Noah jumped as the guard called his name. He used to think that he was such a badass, but the first few hours in Juvie had quickly shown him that he was very much mistaken. Hell some of the guys in here made him appear to be just as tough as the redheaded, OCD suffering guidance counsellor that Schue was still hitting on. Therefore Noah had been trying to keep his head down, especially after the brutal way he had lost his nipple ring. As he made his way to the room where visiting took place he was still trying to figure out who would be waiting there for him. It was mid week, his mom only ever had time off at the weekend and even then he had told her to limit the amount of time she spent with him here. _

_Pushing thoughts of his family away he spotted the last person he would ever have expected. There she sat, attempting to not appear too nervous, dressed down for once but still wearing her signature knee socks and penny loafers. "Berry?" he greeted he questioningly. Although unexpected, and break from the mundane was most welcome. _

"_Hello Noah." she replied almost shyly. "I hope you don't mind?" _

"_Just surprised. So what's the glee emergency?" At her hurt look he frowned, watching as she worried her bottom lip with her teeth, briefly finding himself wishing that he was the one biting her lip before shaking his head in an effort to banish the errant thought. _

"_I'm here to see you Noah. See if you need anything. I've been so worried about you. Mr Schuester just announced that you were here but no one seems to know for how long." Or care, she thought to herself, unable to forget her disappointment at Mr Schue's lack of concern about one of his students. "I waited for two weeks, then just before I was going to ask Dad for help I ran into your mom. She told me that she had an extra visitor pass so I jumped at the chance to see you for myself." _

"_Slow down Rachel, take a breath," Noah said with just the bare trace of a smirk, which only increased as a smile flashed across the face of the petite girl who sat opposite him. "So what have I been missing?" _

_For the next half hour Rachel told him all the latest news and gossip from McKinley and Lima. She noted his pained reaction as she described how Quinn seemed to be getting closer to Sam, the disastrous plan to throw the duet competition and how her letters to Shelby had been returned. "Sorry I should have known better than to mention either Quinn or Shelby," she said apologetically. "No it's okay. Maybe if I'd let Mom talk to me about all that, things might have been different. It's just I know how much I've let her down and I don't want to keep reminding her of how I've become this epic failure." _

"_You messed up Noah but you were also very brave. You made the right decision by putting Beth's needs before your own." Rachel reached for Noah's hand before stopping herself, not sure if she should try and touch him. She looked at him for some kind of direction, but all Noah did was take her hand in his for a few minutes, gently untangling his fingers when the guard told him to. The allotted visiting time was almost up, but as Rachel prepared to leave Noah took her hand again briefly. "Thanks Rachel." A lot went unsaid beyond those two words but Rachel, knowing that Noah had difficulty expressing how he felt, just smiled. "I'll see you next week Noah. Please look after yourself." _

"She visited me once a week for the next month and a half that I was in Juvie. She brought schoolwork for me so that I wouldn't fall behind, but never pushed me to complete it or to talk if I didn't want to. She had plenty to tell me about what was happening outside the walls of the detention centre, including how she was watching my sister while my mom was at work. Just small things, but they meant a lot to me."

There was silence in the studio for a second as Paul was so hooked on the story Puck was telling that he almost forgot they were live on air. "So you got out and got the girl?" he asked, pulling himself together.

"I was still messed up. Even though she had been my lifeline, I thought the best way to move on was to go back to my old ways. To revert back to my bad boy persona because then people would be too afraid to come near me. She clearly knew what I was doing and just let me be, though I think she may have tried to keep people away from me. You know just let me be, readjust to being back in the real world, that was my theory back then. Anyway she had a boyfriend at the time so that was an obstacle as well."

At that last comment Paul saw the grimaces that crossed the faces of Artie and Sam, he would have loved to raise the subject but just then his guest began to speak again. "We shared a brief interlude, her words not mine, just before Christmas that year, but as always the time wasn't right for either of us, romantically at least. It did mean that we had an opportunity to be friends, properly for the first time.

"I see Artie has happy memories of that time, care to share?" Paul asked.

"I'm just remembering an awesome duet that ended in a brawl with some football players," Artie said.

"Plus there was the fabulous party at her house," Sam interjected.

"Good times," the boys declared almost as one before dissolving into laughter.

"It seems as if you had a lot of fun back then," Paul quipped.

"I don't think that Britt could ever listen to 'Tic Tok' afterwards. She had it banned from all school events during her term as senior class president."

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"It still gives me icky feelings, even now," Brittany said to Rachel, glad to hear the giggle that her friend couldn't contain. "I never knew you went to visit him?"

"I met his mom and she told me how he was insisting that she didn't see him there any more. That he knew she was turning down work to visit him and how he didn't want her or Becca going without because of his stupidity. When I offered to go she looked so relieved, but honestly I had already made up my mind that I would was going to see him."

"Did you know, back then how you felt?" Brittany asked hesitantly.

"Looking back I can see how it really set things in motion in a way that our time in Sophomore year never did. Then, him choosing Glee over football, singing 'Sweet Caroline', it was meant so much to me, but it was also safe. We both knew that it couldn't go anywhere because of Finn, Quinn and the baby. Junior year there were sparks but neither of us were ready yet."

"Then New York happened?"

"_I thought that I might find you here." Turning her head quickly, Rachel saw Noah climbing the last few steps to the hotel rooftop. _

"_The view is pretty spectacular from here. All the lights plus you can actually see the stars as well," she replied, sounding almost wistful. "_

_Santana's calmed down so it should be safe for you to sleep in the room." _

"_There is no way I'm sleeping tonight. Not with all that is going on in my head right now." As Noah turned to leave her alone Rachel grabbed his hand. "Don't go, stay, please." _

_Not letting go he moved until his arms were wrapped around her, holding her gently, both watching silently as the city below them lived up to it's name. "I saw you and Kurt singing that witchy song, heard what you said afterwards - about New York being your first love. For what it's worth I think that it's true. You and the stage are a the perfect match and years from now the same people who are angry about a kiss that you didn't want or ask for, will be telling anyone who'll listen that they shared a stage with you." _

"_Noah." _

"_It's true Ray, some of us will be lucky to still be in your world, but the majority of us will lose touch. That is just how life goes." _

"_For all my talk, my certainty that I belong here, I'm scared that I'm so focused on getting here that I'll miss out on what's really important." _

"_There's still senior year, you have time to figure it all out. Isn't that what you're always telling me?" _

"_But what if I hurt someone. What if..." She trailed off and Noah turned her to face him, his finger resting lightly on her lips. _

"_No more what-ifs Ray. The people who know you, who really care, they will understand and support you. They will always be there for you, even if it means waiting that little bit longer." _

_Rachel held her breath, her instincts telling her, shouting at her that this was one of those moments that would shape her life. "Noah." She wanted so much to know the words to say to him, to reassure him that she understood, in spite of her lingering concerns. _

"_It's fine Ray, but just in case..." Slowly he lowered his head to hers, his lips brushing softly against her mouth, his eyes never leaving hers. Rachel's eyes fell shut as she savoured the feeling of his kiss, trying to show Noah how she felt, knowing that she had no other way to express what was in her heart. Her tongue ran along the seam of his mouth seeking an invitation to deepen the kiss, which, with a groan, Noah allowed. For a time they both battled to take control, lost to the emotions that had consumed them, but slowly something changed. A sadness seemed to creep in. Although still passionate, the kiss was less frenzied. _

_They sipped at one another's lips. Rachel's fingers ran through his hair, finding the nape of Noah's head and pulled him closer to her. At the same time he hands seemed to dance over her shoulders, her back, his touch light as if he were afraid that she would break. His mouth left hers as his lips trailed over her face, delicately caressing her, while it was all Rachel could do to remember to breathe. _

_The only problem with magical kisses like the one that had just shared is that they can only last so long. Yet while the kiss might have ended they remained locked in one another's arms, swaying gently to a tune that Noah was humming, while Rachel listened to the sound of his heart beating all the while trying desperately to commit the last few minutes to her memory. "Promise me Rachel, that no matter what happens in the future, you won't regret what we shared here tonight." Her heart broke at the despair in his voice. _

"_I don't now, nor will I ever regret this," she replied, sincerely wishing that she could spare him this pain, but finally understanding what he had been trying to tell her earlier. No one would ever know how selfless he had been that night but then no one really saw him the way that she did._

"From the reaction of the two boys there, it seems like you and your mystery girl kept secrets from your friends." Paul said, breaking the hush that had fallen as Puck recounted that night in Manhattan. "So is that how long ago you wrote the song?" The deejay asked.

"I started it that night," Puck said slowly, "but it took me years to finish. I'm still not one hundred percent certain that it's finished even now."

"Let me ask you this; was that the night 'she said the words that never left me'?" Paul sang, boyband style, succeeding in making Puck laugh and breaking some of the tension that had permeated the studio, as Puck had appeared stuck in the past.

"The exact words, the conversation we had, only two of us know that and that's the way it will stay. I don't think that I'd be the same person if I had never heard them, but for the record a lot of people have misinterpreted those particular lyrics."

"So what you are saying is that it wasn't a confession of love?" Paul asked.

"Not in a traditional sense, but for me her words that night actually meant more than if she had said that other three word sentence."

"Just listening to you speak so passionately about this song has made me, and I'm sure everyone else listening, want to hear you sing. So we'll take a short commercial break, let you and the boys get set up. Don't go anywhere folks!" Again the familiar theme tune filtered into the room but all Puck could do was hope that somewhere Rachel was listening.

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As she waited for the show to return, Rachel stood at her window absently watching the traffic on the street below. For years she had dreamt of living in this city, of the adventures she would have, the new people she would meet. Never would she have imagined that the city would always remind her of a magical evening spent watching the stars with a boy from home. Or that she would have the chance to share her beloved New York with that same boy.

_It was another hot day in the Village. She had been making her way back to her dorm room from a dance class when she literally ran into the last person she had expected to see. "Noah?" Rachel asked in disbelief. She found herself being lifted into his arms, and spun around, as he hugged her close. _

"_I hope you don't mind Berry. I know New York is your city," he replied, his familiar smirk firmly in place. A million questions ran through her mind, but before she could speak, Noah placed his hand over her mouth. Laughing at the pout she made, he hugged her even closer. _

"_You have no idea how much I've missed you," he whispered, his voice betraying words he didn't dare speak. Reluctantly, he had to let her go before a passing businessman, busy on his phone, ran into them. He was thrilled when Rachel took his hand and offered to buy him a slice of pizza from the best place in town. That was the beginning of a great adventure for them both. _

_For the first time in years they felt as if they could be themselves, no longer having to worry about the idle gossipers or small-minded people living in Lima. They made the most of this freedom, searching the city for the best busking places for Noah, which in turn led to the discovery of an amazing vegan bakery. When it became clear that sharing a dorm was not going to work out for Rachel, they lucked out and found an apartment that worked from them both. He gave her self-defence classes and was a proud mentor when she came home with bruised knuckles and the story of the handsy jerk that was now the owner or two black eyes. As he iced her damaged hands, Rachel couldn't remember ever feeling so safe or so looked after. _

_Her lessons were also useful when an unwelcome visitor dropped by. Finn, who, in spite of practically ignoring Rachel after she had turned down his marriage proposal, suddenly felt the need to once again interfere in her life after he heard who her flatmate was. Finn's habit of conveniently forgetting all the hurt that he had caused Rachel really didn't help his case, but by the time he had been forcibly removed by the tiny diva herself, he was finally beginning to see that he was no longer welcome in her life._

_A few days later Brittany and Sam had arrived at their door, hoping for a place to crash while Britt looked into a small but prestigious dance school that had offered her a place for the winter semester. It soon became clear to those who were real friends of Rachel and Noah, that their apartment, or 'Casa Puckleberry' as Brittany had named it, would became the official place to stay whenever they were in town, although the blonde dancer never actually left! _

_For her part, Brittany watched as her two friends fell further in love, being content to witness firsthand how Rachel and Noah always made time for one another no matter what else was going on. She never once felt left out or in the way, instead she felt honoured because she was one of the few people who really knew what was going on between them. _

"You know Rach, all these years, you never once put a label on what you and Puck have. I've never heard you call him your boyfriend." Brittany looked expectantly at her best friend.

"He hasn't been my boyfriend since that week in Sophomore year Britt," Rachel said softly.

"Obviously I know that, but doesn't it ever bother you, when we're back in Lima and he's referred to as your roommate?"

"So long as he knows then that's good enough for me. The people who really know us have it figured out and as for the rest, I can honestly say that their opinion means very little to me." Rachel's answer clearly delighted Brittany who broke into her trademark 'Dance of Joy.' It was only when Paul's voice once more filled the room, that Brittany stopped, taking her place beside Rachel again.

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"Welcome back everyone to my exclusive interview with music's newest sensation, Puck. In a few minutes he'll be performing live for us, but first we received a question via a very dedicated follower on Twitter." Puck waited patiently as the deejay paused for dramatic effect. This would be the first time that he had sung 'New York Goodbye' for a live audience.

"Earth to Puckerman," Sam clicked his fingers in front of his friend.

"I'm just getting in the zone," he joked, focusing on those in the room and not the person he wanted to see more than anyone else in the world.

"So the tweet is from Champion_Sue, who wants to know when you are going to make Puckleberry a reality? And I want to add that Champion_Sue has sent us over a thousand tweets on that topic in the last three hours."

Just picturing the cheerleading coach sitting at a computer trying to tweet made Puck burst out laughing, Artie and Sam joining in. "If you ever met her Paul, you'd know she always gets her way."

Puck tried to explain to the slightly bewildered man, how Sue was a teacher from his high school, who had gone out of her way to help him during his last two years at McKinley. "I know a lot of students and faculty were frightened or intimidated by her, but she will always be someone who watched for me, never asking for anything in return."

"Until now." Artie teased, reminding Paul about the question she had asked.

"Dare I ask what a 'Puckleberry' is?"

"Sadly I promised a very dear friend of mine not to speak on that particular subject without consulting her, or face her wrath. The boys will tell you that Britt is not someone you mess with. So my response to Champion_Sue is to take it up with your star pupil!"

"Thanks for answering the question. And now for the moment we've all been waiting for, an exclusive acoustic performance of 'New York Goodbye' by Puck."

The second he played the first note on his guitar Noah felt the world slip away, replaced by memories of moments spent with Rachel, including one of the last times he had seen her in person. They had been celebrating his record deal and discussing how the label was anxious to get Puck into the studio within the next few days. Sam and Artie would be joining him once the final arrangements were made, the boys still trying to process that they were going to be making a record with their friend. There were also a lot of people eager to work with Puck, producers he had admired for years who had expressed an interest in collaborating with him. He had been somewhat hesitant to make a final choice.

"_So are you going to tell me what's on your mind, or should we just ignore it some more?" Even though she tried to make light of the situation Rachel hated that anything was distracting Noah from enjoying this momentous occasion. _

"_I guess I never realised that I would have to make so many choices. I just want to make you proud of me..." He trailed off at the look on her face. _

"_You have to be selfish here Noah, put yourself first for a change. Because this is about you, about what you want to do. Who you think will work best with you because they recognise how talented you are." _

"_There is just one problem with Ray." _

"_And that is?" she prompted. _

"_If I do as you say, it would mean leaving the city, leaving you and I won't do that. I want to share this with you Ray." _

"_You still can, by phone, email, Skype. But Noah you owe this to yourself to make the most of this opportunity. I will still be here when you get back." _

"_Promise?" Noah's voice cracked on the single word, his long held fears of loss and abandonment resurfacing. Rachel's response was to raise herself on to her tiptoes so that she could wipe away the lone tear that ran down his cheek in spite of his efforts. Then, moving closer still, she kissed him tenderly. Finding solace, as well as the assurance he needed in her kiss, Noah revelled in the feeling of Rachel's lips on his, in the little moans that escaped as she became lost to everything but his touch. _

As the last chord of the song faded, not a sound could be heard in the studio. It took Paul a few moments to gather his thoughts and break the silence. "If that isn't number one on iTunes by the end of the day then I will personally donate one thousand dollars to a charity of your choosing Puck."

Noah could only smile at the deejays words. He had been so caught up in his memories that he was surprised he hadn't messed up or forgotten any of the words. A brief glance at this watch told him that that the interview was almost over. Following a short commercial break, he was once more live on air and the next thirty minutes flew by as he answered fan questions, performed his current single and revealed for the first time that he would be going on tour in the New Year. Once the show was finished he chatted with Paul and his team, before he, Artie and Sam left the radio station. For once, the time off he had been promised had become a reality and Noah was determined to make the most of the next thirty-six hours he had free.

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It had taken Rachel a long time to get to sleep and even then the smallest noise seemed to wake her. This time the disturbance hadn't been a siren or her phone vibrating. Rather, she was almost certain that she had heard a lock click into place, but as she and Brittany had both decided to have early nights, she pushed it out of her mind. This time when she fell asleep, Rachel dreamt that she was lying in Noah's embrace, the weight of his arms making her feel secure and at ease. Resting her head onto his chest, the familiar scent of his cologne enveloped her, while the gentle caress of his breath on her face caused tiny butterflies to start dancing in her stomach.

It was understandable then, that the sound of her neighbour slamming a window closed left her feeling bereft as her dream was torn away from her. For this reason it took Rachel a few minutes to notice that she had moved in her sleep and was now cuddling her spare pillow, or at least that's what she thought at first. It was only when the 'pillow' moved of it's own accord, pulling her nearer, that she dared to hope that perhaps she hadn't been dreaming.

"Noah?" she whispered, holding her breath in case this was, in fact, something she had imagined.

"I tried not to wake you, Ray. You seemed so at peace in your sleep."

"That's only because you were there with me." Again Rachel couldn't hide her doubts that this was a real conversation she was having. Noah had her in his arms before she could blink, his touch lighting sparks of desire as he covered her face with delicate kisses.

"Thank you for telling our story so beautifully Noah," Rachel said softly, her breath hitching slightly when his lips found a sensitive spot close to her ear. Pulling away so that he could look at her, she was struck by how young and carefree he seemed.

"You believed in me Ray, unconditionally. It's why I never gave up, on me, or on us. It's why I know you're my forever."

"And I am yours Noah."

In the city that never sleeps, our story really starts,

That night she said the words that never left me,

Just unlocked the chains around my heart,

Sometimes the smallest thing can set you free.

Time once more was not our friend,

But goodbye doesn't always mean forever,

A journey just begun, not at an end,

I know one day we'll be together.

I'll always remember the lights and sounds,

The way your hair was curled.

Forbidden thoughts that knew no bounds,

Dreaming that you'd one day be my girl.

I can't regret the three year wait,

As I've waiting your rising star,

Still not sure if I believe in fate,

But I trust in this love of ours.

So don't give up, just stay strong,

You could never push me away.

I'm counting down the hours long,

Til you're in my arms to stay.

**A.N. Thank you all for taking the time to read this and I would love to hear your thoughts and comments. Perhaps you have a prompt or suggestion for a story that I could write, please feel free to let me know.**

**Reviews are love ;) ~Carrie**


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